Each of the 20 teams in the International League started back at 0-0 on Tuesday as the second half gave 19 teams renewed hope of joining the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in the playoffs. Pierson Ohl made his Triple-A debut and got weak contact after weak contact in a superb outing as the St. Paul Saints slugged three home runs in a 6-1 victory over the Louisville Bats on Tuesday night at CHS Field in front of 5,008.
The first batter Ohl faced was Bryson Brigman who reached on a 37.4 mph infield single to third. That exit velocity was a sign of things to come for Ohl who retired the next three hitters on a 78.3 mph fielder’s choice, and two pop outs at 87.7 mph and 75.5 mph.
Ohl retired the side in order in the second and got his lone strikeout of the night against Ivan Johnson.
The Saints grabbed three in the second as Ryan Fitzgerald led off with a double to right, took third on a groundout and scored on a single to left by Aaron Sabato making it 1-0. Two batters later Noah Cardenas crushed a two-run homer to left, his third of the season, putting the Saints up 3-0.
In his next two innings, Ohl allowed just a single in each inning and completed 4.0 shutout innings allowing three singles while striking out one. He threw 54 pitches, 40 for strikes. He never allowed a runner to reach second base and the average exit velocity of the 14 balls put in play against Ohl was an eye popping 72.7 mph.
Two home runs in the fifth doubled the lead for the Saints. Edouard Julien led off the inning with a solo homer to right-center, his sixth of the season and fourth in the last seven games, giving the Saints a 4-0 lead. Julien finished the night 3-4 with a home run, RBI, and a run scored. He’s now 12-27 in his last seven games. With one out Payton Eeles was hit by a pitch and Carson McCusker crushed a 422-foot homer to left-center, his 15th of the season, increasing the lead to 6-0.
Johnson got the Bats lone run in the seventh with a leadoff homer to right, his sixth of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 6-1. Michael Tonkin went 3.0 innings for the Saints allowing one run on three hits while striking out two.
Cody Laweryson pitched the final 2.0 innings giving up two hits while walking one and striking out one.
The same two teams meet in game two of a six-game series at CHS Field on Wednesday afternoon at 1:07 p.m. The Saints send RHP Trent Baker (1-0, 5.79) to the mound against Bats RHP Chase Petty (1-4, 2.76).
(info courtesy of Saints Baseball)
